Will To Die
by bury me among the ashes
Summary: Hinata is sick of the village that doesn't accept her and runs off...right into Orochimaru's clutches. OroHina
1. The Finding

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Warnings/Notes: OroHina eventually, this is probably OOC and if you don't think it is it will become OOC, sorry but it's just the way I tend to write and it's bound to happen with a pairing like this one. Just to warn you in advance, rating may go up due to later chapters, reasons why will be listed as warnings/notes at the beginning of the chapter. Anyway, please enjoy!

It was the middle of summer, days were warmest now and she was growing tired of the routine weather, the routine rising and setting of the sun. She was getting tired of wasting her life away doing nothing she thought was important. Every accomplishment she made was nothing, no matter how she tried it didn't seem to matter, it amounted the same way in the end. She sat on her knees and watched the sun slowly begin to set the flowers in the field around her were slowly wilting and dying away from lack of water.

She looked at them with empathy, but amongst that too was envy, envy burning deep within her. At least these flowers could die without too much suffering; she however could not, that would be taking the easy way out. They like her were fragile, swept away with the wind; she touched one as she forced back tears stinging at her eyes. They were like her…and yet they weren't.

People liked flowers, they accepted flowers, even called them beautiful, flowers were…_normal. _

She wanted to spit, she wanted to cry, nothing was fair. She was so much like the flowers and yet she wasn't accepted, nor was she ever called beautiful, nothing she ever did would ever get her acknowledged, if so it was for the wrong reasons. She sighed and sniffed back more tears, clenching both her fists in anger; all she wanted all she needed was someone like her. Someone that understood, but she could never have that and it was a selfish hope anyway.

She rose to her feet, cursing herself under her breath as she did so, she hated that she was so weak, she hated it, she wanted to die sometimes when she thought about how disgraceful everyone thought her. But she wouldn't die; she couldn't, no matter how much she tried someone always found a way to "save" her, she was told it was because they cared for her.

She punched the ground and shook her head, they didn't care, no one cared, they weren't saving her at all, she needed saved from the people around her, she needed saved from the hypocrisy and scorn, she needed to grow new wings and fly away. Her broken, tattered ones refused to support her. She was too weak to make it to salvation, too weak to die, too weak to keep fighting to get away from it all.

She was just too weak.

Tears leaked from her eyes and she cursed herself for that, tears were a weakness, crying was a weakness, but weakness was a part of her, one she knew she'd have to learn to accept since she couldn't seem to find anyway to avoid doing so. She clutched grass in her hands and pulled it up from the roots as she stood and kept it in her hands, letting it fall to the ground once she was standing at full height. She wanted to scream but she didn't, she couldn't all she could do was break down a little more, her trembling knees threatened to buckle, her legs beginning to give way and so she turned to run back, far away from the village that'd hurt her so. Her indigo bangs were whipped across her forehead by the wind as she slowly turned around, she knew if she didn't seize her chance now she'd be too weak, too afraid, and she'd never do it.

She tried to run but her legs were frozen to the ground, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to move, once she took the first few steps she pounded her bare feet against the cold, hard ground, ignoring the rain that was now beating down on her. She ran faster and harder than her legs had ever carried her before, she headed straight out of the gates of Konoha and began making her way threw the opened field. She could see the forest on the edge of the horizon, she was getting closer, but she was tired, she couldn't get her breath easily and her body was no convulsing from exhaustion and overexertion but she didn't stop.

She ran longer, pumping her legs hard until she came into the forest, an ocean or trees surrounding her, she collapsed then. Her feet all the way up her ankles were covered in mud from the rain that still beating down on her but that was the least of her worries. She blinked a few times in an attempt to clear her blurring vision but to no avail. She gasped at a stray rustling of leaves in some nearby brush and coughed a few times, spitting up blood, which she wiped on the sleeve of her jacket.

She willed herself to get up again, telling herself what she'd heard was only an animal, but gasped at the sharp, siring pain which shot up her legs as she put weight on them. She put a hand on a tree beside her to steady herself, breathing hard, almost still panting even after she'd been lying on the muddy ground for nearly twenty minutes. Her vision was still blurred and her stomach lurched when she attempted to move any part of her body.

She bared her teeth and bowed her head painfully, this wasn't supposed to happen, she wouldn't let it happen, she'd gotten this far, she had to keep going, but she couldn't, her body was at her limit. With her last bit of strength she reached around her neck with her free hand and undid her forehead protector, letting it drop to the ground without a second thought. She glared down at it, her gaze riddled with contempt, she hated her village, hated her family…or at least she wanted to. After all, they'd done horrible wrongs onto her but it was hard to blame them, even she agreed she was as weak as they proclaimed she was.

"Well now…" Came a silky voice from behind her, her eyes widened and she released a small sound that was supposed to come out as a gasp, though it wasn't heard over the sound of the rain anyway. "Who have we hear…?" The voice came again, followed by a bout of darkened, eerie laughter.

She heard footsteps approaching her and tried to speak, to yell at whomever it was to stay away from her but she was unable to work feeling into her jaw. The laughter came again, sounding the same except for being heartier, deeper.

"So you're mute." The figure taunted her as he apparated quickly behind her and gripped the back of her neck painfully, ripping her away from the tree she was holding to steady herself only to turn her to face him.

Hinata looked up into the amber eyes of Orochimaru, up into a face she knew well, a face she knew was evil, her gaze traveled subconsciously downward, she looked at the smile her wore, trying to read it along with the rest of his expression.

"How interesting…"

"N-N-Not m-mute." Hinata forced out, fear gripping at her causing her voice to break even more than it would have because she was weakened.

Orochimaru laughed again, "Why go through all this." He gestured to her body, "You can barely stand, why would you go so far, what are you running from?" He asked her.

Hinata's breaths came out quicker and more sharply, she closed her eyes, "Wh-Wh-Why d-do you c-c-care?" She managed to ask, Orochimaru's loosening grip on her neck was all that supported her now since her legs were like water underneath of her.

Once again Orochimaru chuckled, "You're a weak little thing aren't you…?" He continued to taunt her.

Hinata couldn't muster up the strength to say anything more than, "L-L-Leave m-me."

Orochimaru smirked, a shadow falling over his face as the cloudy sky became even darker, "Leave you alone here to die, let you fall to the ground like some helpless animal, that's what you want me to do?" He asked her, but by now she was incoherent, barely even conscious. Had she been awake only seconds longer she'd have felt Orochimaru picking up her limp and mangled form to take her away back to where he was hiding out. Inwardly, his thoughts began clouding his mind.

She'll be back in that village the morning she wakes up…but no matter, I can let her go…after all…she is of use to me no matter where she is….


	2. An Unexpected Breakthrough

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!

Warnings/Notes: OroHina eventually.

Orochimaru watched the frail girl stir in her slumber, her hands he noticed were trembling slightly and he chuckled at the thought of what might be on her mind. It was dusk before Hinata opened her eyes and had strength enough to sit up. She looked about her darkened and dreary surroundings, candles were the only source of lighting and there was grime on the walls. Her breathing was deep and heavy as she struggled to get her breath that fear had caught in her throat. She could vaguely remember her meeting with Orochimaru in the forest and silently wondered as she scanned the area for him if she had been naïve enough to allow him to take her away somewhere.

She stood to her feet shakily, the quarter inch deep water sloshing under her feet. He stood in the shadow of a nearby corner, leaned against a filthy wall, he perched to watch her every move. She turned to face the direction he stood, sensing the movement of his chakra almost immediately. He smirked behind a curtain of his dark hair that'd fallen into his face as he moved into the opened, Hinata's eyes widened slightly and her trembling picked up but she could force no sound from her lips.

"Awake at last…" He spoke up in his normal tones that came out so silkily they were almost a purring of sorts.

"Wh-Wh-What d-d-do you w-want from m-me…?" She asked skittishly as she put one foot behind the other and stood on her toes with it, getting into a stance as if she were an animal prepared to run off to safety. "Wh-Why am I h-hear?" She tried again when he offered no response.

"One's personal choices are the only influence here, you ran off and tired yourself out, you were weakened and I took advantage of you. You are still weakened as we speak, they have shunned you, hurt you, the inhabitants of that village have ground your will power down to dust that is swept away with the breath you intake to speak. I didn't chose you, you chose me, that is a question you'll have to ask yourself." He replied.

Hinata shook her head and once again Orochimaru chuckled, his tactics were working well, they always did.

Hinata remembered perfectly the events of the previous night, she hadn't been brought here of her own free will but instead was taken here by Orochimaru when she was unconscious and had no say in the matter. So what was he talking about? What, she wondered, could he possibly mean by all of this? She gulped and inwardly scolded herself for being taken and confused by him, but then again he was able to manipulate people very well and that helped to bring down some of the guilt.

"Y-Y-You're l-l-lying, st-st-stop playing g-games." She challenged him after making sure she was not making false accusations. Though he was the enemy, it was not in Hinata's nature to be so outspoken and she had a thing about accusing innocent people even if they had done wrong before.

"Are you really in any position to be giving me demands?" Orochimaru shot back taking a step closer to her.

Hinata tensioned and took a step backwards, but Orochimaru was quicker, and upon seeing Hinata's intention to try and get away before he was prepared to allow her to, he closed the gap between them. Hinata was forced to narrow her eyes to the cement floor, unable to meet the snake-like shinobi's gaze, Orochimaru once again laughed at her, but there seemed to be pity amongst the secrecy of his tones.

"You truly have no spine." He was brutally honest from the start, "You are plenty capable but are too caught up in what others think, you aim to please everyone and to do such is impossible. You try to overwhelm yourself with such emotions as love heavy on your mind." He continued, Hinata thought back, she saw Naruto's face, him yelling as he entered the village after a long mission away from home. She wondered if Orochimaru could possibly know of her feelings him, how, she wondered, was that possible?

"Y-Y-You don't kn-know what you're t-t-t-talking ab-bout." Hinata replied still looking at the ground, "You d-d-don't know anything about m-me." She was quick to add when she felt his gaze upon her harden, his eyes were like daggers, the edges tracing her skin, crawling under it without warning.

She felt his soft pale hand, so white it appeared gray underneath her chin, he tilted her face up. She wasn't quick enough to the hide the tears cascading down her face, her only shame. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and tried to force away thoughts of what he may be thinking of her at the moment. Surely he was laughing on the inside, or so she thought, if only she knew how much he knew about her. He laughed at how timid she was and cursed her wasted talent, but somewhere deep down, even though he himself couldn't face it, he seemed to be empathizing with her. No one had accepted him either, but he wanted to spit on her, tell her like they all did, she was pathetic, as she had the chance to make them believe differently. He was always the outcast, but he made himself stronger while she took the other route.

Part of his reasoning for finding her so intriguing had to do with the fact that he had trouble understanding her, reading her, he couldn't define her though she was so easily able to be classified as a failure, as a weakling. He knew there was more to her, he wanted to look into her mind, to see how it worked, to feel what she felt so when he realized his dream, the victory all the more sweet.

"What is it you think I need to know? I know you're holding yourself back, concerned with useless people and how they view you. I know you're wasting your talent, your life, and my time because you wallow in self-pity that isn't necessary in the least."

Hinata winced at his harsh words, much like ones her father would've used to scold her. Orochimaru noticed her do so and the slightest hint of a smirk graces his lips as he made his grip on her chin more firm. "What'd you say to that?" He asked her, "Not so boisterous now I see…" He noted just to taunt her.

"I-I…" Hinata started to speak poking her fingers together so as to distract herself and keep from crying as she was still in Orochimaru's hold, too frightened to break away. She'd never thought of herself in that way and it added to her hurt to know that things he was saying were true.

"What're you shaking for?" He asked as at last he flattened out the hand that was cupping her chin and slid it slowly out from underneath her.

Hinata didn't respond immediately, in fact, for a few minutes all she could do was tightly purse her lips and try to swallow the lump in her throat, "I-I umm…u-umm…" She stammered out, not knowing how to finish without getting choked up.

"I should just kill you, after all, if you are too weak to overcome such childish fears you will be of no use to me." He informed her, Hinata ducked her head down away from him, debating with herself on whether or not she wanted death, whether or not living would be prolonging her anguish. Cursing life for being so hard she rose her head to look at him through eyes glazed over with fresh tears that had not yet fallen.

"Wh-Wh-What c-could you p-p-possibly w-want from me?" She managed to force out as she raised a hand to wipe at her eyes.

Orochimaru's smirk quickly turned to a broad smile twisted in ways Hinata had never before dreamt of witnessing, it was tainted and she didn't like it. In her uneasiness two more stray tears leaked from her eyes and traveled down her face.

"My dear child, surely you must have some idea." He replied drawling out his every word just to watch her shudder as he did so.

Hinata made a stray noise that could only be described between the cross between a stifled whisper and a cry that died in her throat when the realization settled in that she was indeed useful to Orochimaru in many ways. She thought at first he may want her to be a spy, but she quickly corrected herself, she'd be no good at that, someone would catch her right off the bat. But it didn't matter, she had no desire to head back to the village anyway, it and everyone in it was as good as dead to her, even though she was having trouble coming to terms with that.

"I g-guess you…w-well umm…I…" She tried to reply, but stopped knowing her stuttering was a sign of weakness. She wanted to hit herself, hurt herself in anyway she could think of, maybe if she pounded it into her head well enough she would find the courage to become more strong.

"I will find a…personal use for you in this facility, you may not be a keen fighter but your senses are acute enough to serve a purpose here in this building." He informed her, hissing under his breath at the throbbing pain in his arms that was growing intense over time without the medicine Kabuto concocted for him. Even though the serum did little to help fight off some of the pain, there was always a noticeable difference in the level of discomfort when he got disgusted with how little it did and refused to take it.

"I d-d-don't under…st-stand." Hinata whispered more to the eerie yet somewhat tranquil darkness surrounding her than to Orochimaru himself.

"You will…" Orochimaru assured her, "Come…" He beckoned and Hinata followed him on shaking legs knowing she didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

She and Orochimaru snaked down many winding corridors until finally they entered the confines of the small bedroom he was often kept laid up in. Hinata glanced around the depressing place, the setting not very different from that of the world beyond the now closed wooden door.

"Right now some very important research is being done, your only job is to assist my researchers in anyway you can, until then you will stay here in this room and keep out of sight. If I can find nothing better to do with you I will dispose of you.' He informed her, heading into the master bathroom connected to the bedroom, "Try and run and you will die right then and there." He warned her before he closed the door behind him.

Hinata sank to her knees and clutched at the flat cement floor futilely with both hands. This couldn't be happening, she was useless even here, too weak to do anything that mattered, and yet she wondered why, if her job truly was as insignificant as Orochimaru made it out to be, he bothered to keep her around. Orochimaru in the meantime was bitterly reflecting on a similar train of thought as he allowed the hot, steamy water to soothe his aching bones and burning flesh.

He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something special about the Hyuga girl other than her skills, there was something familiar about her, something she possessed that he also saw in himself both now and as he looked back on memories of himself at her age. He closed his eyes and allowed the water to therapeutically and somewhat painfully work what little feeling he had into his fingers and the muscles and tendons in his arms as most of his nerve tissue was dead or damaged beyond repair.

Hinata moved to hug her knees to her chest, the naïve, brightness of a child's eyes that shone within her own had disappeared as she sat, leaning against Orochimaru's bedside table. When Orochimaru noticed this after having slipped on a bathrobe with great difficulty he merely laid down on his bed.

"You'll learn all you need to quickly, you absorb concepts well." He informed her.

Hinata nodded her response, not feeling up to speaking, as Orochimaru turned his head to look at the wall opposite her, her gaze traveled to his gangly and mostly useless arms. She moved her own hand that rested still on her legs folded up to her chest laced in her other hand. She tried to feet with it, moving it across the cement floor what should've been wet and could to the touch, but it was as if someone had sucked the life from her and she could no longer touch or be subject to anything beautiful. She almost wondered if Orochimaru felt this way too, if he deprived himself of beautiful things because he was afraid of the happiness they brought.

Maybe though he just learned to be apathetic all on his own, after all a person like him would've almost had too, she sighed then, causing Orochimaru to glance over at her, she would soon be that kind of person but she didn't want to be. She wanted to feel, to see, to love, to be warm, but that was gone, she felt numb…she felt…dead, truly and completely dead.

"What is it?" He asked her; annoyed by the reaction that she refused to show the one that he'd gotten such a thrill out of.

At the sound of his voice something stirred within her, emotion, feeling. She sighed in utter relief; such things were not beyond her reach. She didn't know why exactly Orochimaru made her feel when for the longest time as she sat in that room with him she was able too, nor did she know just what he made her feel for that matter but it still gave her hope. She looked up to the candle sitting on the bedside table she was leaned against, the flame an orange blur, the only light in the darkness, as she stared at it she wondered if there was any light left in her darkness, that which had seemingly swallowed her whole.

Her eyes widened slightly as she pieced it all together, maybe Orochimaru brought her with him because when in a situation and environment the same as his own their minds worked alike, their thinking was similar. She smiled then without realizing Orochimaru was still watching her, maybe that was the potential he saw in her. Little did she know she was one step ahead of even Orochimaru who knew his reasoning for bringing you along with him was similar to the one you'd come up with, but with something deeper lurking there as well. It was something he refused to face at the time for he could not define it and so it was merely deemed an interest.

Orochimaru didn't seem to be bothered by Hinata ignoring him, the glow stirring under the surface of her eyes made him smirk, the plan was working out in the end, she was deep in thoughts of things only he would've exposed a teenager such as herself to.

"Pay attention!" He snapped at her nonetheless to get her attention.

Hinata jumped at the harshness of his voice, being unable to stop herself, "Wh-What d-d-did you n-need?" She asked.

Orochimaru's eyes flared with a sudden anger bore into her own as the pain in his arms began returning, "Do something useful." He growled.

Hinata winced, her eyes trembling as she tried to force back tears forming in her eyes, Orochimaru offered her no sympathy she was upset with herself for screwing up and so was he. "What c-c-can I-I…" The tears fell then and she hurried to wipe them away, flinching away from the hand he laid on her head.

"Enough of that, there is no room for weakness here." He scolded.

_Is there any light in my darkness? _She once again questioned herself, _Is there anything left, is it right that I give into him? I mean…will I fall further when I follow him or will he truly teach me something? _She allowed her mind to wonder off into thoughts that'd eluded her before as she bitterly reflected on her situation, Orochimaru's hand was lifted from her head a moment later though she could feel his eyes on him.

He envied her, she was privileged but they were similar and he had to help her.

_So this is why I feel so strangely…never before have I been so obliged to go out of my way for anyone, let alone a third rate kunouchi. _Orochimaru thought to himself as he watched Hinata continue to try and compose herself.

His feelings for her were foreign and yet he couldn't analyze them the way he did a substance at his disposal, perhaps that was why her being near him would take so much getting used to. He didn't really have much time to ponder that thought before Kabuto opened the door to his room.

"Lord Orochimaru sama-ah…who is this?" He asked in surprise.

"That is not yet your concern."

"I'm H-Hinata.' She spoke up shyly upon hearing Orochimaru's response, thinking if she showed strength enough when talking to Kabuto that she would earn some of his respect. It would take more than that to impress Orochimaru so.

"Hyuga Hinata from the village hidden in the leaves?" The poison master inquired.

Orochimaru smirked, "Trust me Kabuto, now back to business, how is your research going?" He asked.

Kabuto sighed deeply, "As well as can be expected I suppose, we haven't had any breakthroughs yet but we're close." He replied.

"Leave me Kabuto, and you." He addressed Hinata, "See what use you can be to Kabuto, be back here by the time it gets dark." He added.

Kabuto eyed Hinata suspiciously, almost enviously, but led her out of the room and back into the rooms he used to research cures for his master's arms. He sighed and sat down to his research, Hinata doing ordinary things for him until he had an idea, one that had never before crossed his mind. The Hyuuga bloodline was advanced and if he fused some of Hinata's chromosomes with Orochimaru's he could heal his arms with his body doing most of the work naturally. Then there would be no repercussions, of course he informed Orochimaru and the procedure was to commence immediately.

Hinata nervously watched Kabuto as he drew her blood if this was to work, she wondered what use she could be to Orochimaru if this worked, and Kabuto was thinking the same way, it was written all over his face.


	3. Changes

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor am I affiliated with any related characters.

Warnings/Notes: Forgive me for taking so long to update this story, I had a virus on my computer and it wiped out everything I had, which means I had to start writing this nearly finished chapter all over again not once but twice! In any case, I hope you like it. Please try to ignore the plot holes, I greatly appreciate your patience and cooperation guys. I love you all!

Kabuto's trembling fingers were proving to be inadequate and he cursed his nerves for betraying him as after a few more minutes of fiddling with needles a scowl graced his master's features. He closed his eyes for a long second to collect himself, praying for the best. Directing both Hinata and Orochimaru to beds and instructing that they lay down he hooked them up to monitors and opened up several different windows on his computer. Hinata closed her eyes and gulped as with the sound of Kabuto's ever nimble fingers furiously tapping away at the keys the process had begun. Though she'd broken all ties with Konoha and had no intention of restoring them, the thought of being part of forbidden acts had her stomach in knots.

"K-Kabuto-san." She stammered out timidly… "My whole body is tingling." She whispered, "The sensation keeps getting stronger." She stopped speaking at this and did her best to force back the bile rising in her throat.

Kabuto nodded but both Orochimaru and Hinata saw the muscles in his face tighten as his body tensioned up further, "Lord Orochimaru-sama, are you experiencing the same sort of sensation?" He asked.

Orochimaru offered a nod in response, "Hinata." He spoke her name in his deep throaty voice.

"H-Hai!" She whispered hoarsely having been startled by the snake like shinobi.

"Can you control the convulsions of your body?" He asked, she gave a small 'huh' but closed her eyes and realized her body was indeed spasming involuntarily. Kabuto spun around in his chair to examine her in her bed, which was closest to the computer where he was seated. Pushing his glasses further up on his nose he pressed one last key on the computer and Hinata's monitor lines and readings changed.

Just as he reached his hands out to touch her Hinata opened her eyes and the convulsions stopped, "It's ok, th-this is n-normal for m-m-me." She whispered, Kabuto looked at her skeptically while Orochimaru chuckled fondly in surprise.

Upon seeing his master's reacting Kabuto swallowed hard and turned back to his technical procedures, "Just tell me if they become painful." He instructed.

"Mm." Hinata replied with another nod.

Approximately an hour elapsed before Kabuto spoke up again, "During this last phase it's perfectly normal for both of you to feel a burning sensation in your arms. If it gets to be unbearable just say." He replied and with that he clicked a button and turned around to inject a new serum into their bloodstream, "This should keep the pain at bay for a little while." He added.

Orochimaru laughed at this knowing the pain would be intense regardless, "Leave us Kabuto." He instructed.

"But Orochimaru sama-" He began to protest before being interrupted.

"If we need you we'll call, now go." Orochimaru ordered, and bowing his head in defeat Kabuto made his way out of the room and down the hall to his own personal room where he'd not been since Orochimaru's catastrophe. As he sat on the bed fatigue plagued at his mind and he realized the full extent of the effect of his recent insomnia. As he had been for months previous he shook it off and buried his face in his recently documented progress regarding his master's arms.

He furrowed his brow, the chances for this procedure's success were seven out of ten, he didn't know whether to hope for success or failure, the way he looked at it, it was his ass either way.

"Tell me Hinata, how do you feel?" He asked her, there was a taunting undertone to his voice and she swallowed hard, not knowing how to react. She closed her eyes as she was becoming dizzy looking about the room.

"A-Alright." She replied she was blunt because one word seemed to be all she could form on her lips.

"Can you give no reasonable answer, at least have the dignity to look at me when I'm speaking to you!" He hissed and slowly she propped herself up on her elbows and opened her eyes ever so slightly to peer at her 26-year senior.

Her gaze was actually fixed narrowly above Orochimaru's head on a dim orange blur that was the light illuminating from the lone candle in the dreary room. Not having to look into his piercing amber eyes took an immediate load off her mind and slowly her quick raged breaths slowed to an almost leisurely pace.

"Are you in pain?" He asked, his voice husky. She nodded shakily, letting herself fall limply back onto the crisp white sheets of the bed, being unable to hold herself up any longer. Her new fascination became the ceiling, which she stared at blankly as Orochimaru continued with his long array of questions. "Where does the pain start, what does it feel like?" He began to once again drill her.

She licked her dry and clammy lips before responding, "Just a d-dull a-aching…it h-h-hasn't gotten a-a-any w-worse."

Orochimaru cleared his throat and sat himself up, leaning back against the wall and folding his hands in his lap, "In your chakra network." It was more a statement than a question in her mind.

"I d-d-don't f-follow…" She whispered, her heart racing in her chest.

"Is the aching in your chakra network?" His immediate rephrasing let her know he was becoming irritated with not only her but the pain he was experiencing as well.

"Y-Yes it's fl-flowing through my ch-ch-chakra network, is th-that n-normal?" She asked. He slapped her at this, on impulse it seemed.

"Stop your damn stuttering you-"

"Y-Your arm!" Hinata squeaked in shock.

"What?" He spat at her, his disposition unchanged, his cold eyes capturing her in a somewhat alluring glare.

Hinata moved her own arm to flex her fingers and gingerly touch the now reddened area of her face, which Orochimaru had struck, "Y-You u-u-used your arm." She clarified.

Orochimaru's eyes came alive with understanding, though in his condition before he could've managed to smack some sense into the timid girl he realized it would've been much more painful for him and would've required much more effort. He smirked at himself, laughing at how foolish he'd been for not realizing it before.

"Do they hurt?" She whispered, careful to take her time so as not to stutter.

"Say it again." He instructed, sitting up, having newfound strength she glanced at him questioningly.

"Do they hurt?" She repeated a bit louder, again, being careful so as not to stutter.

"So." He mused, "It just takes a firm hand to get to you." He added, "No, they don't hurt…they're just stiff." He added pausing to find the right way to word himself.

"I don't…I-I"

"Don't start that again." He snapped, his tone stern, "If you're to be of use to me you have to gain self-confidence." He added, once again she could tell by his tone he was annoyed. She swallowed hard, unsure of what to do and poked her fingers together nervously.

"Sh-Should w-" He delivered another harsh slap to her cheek causing tears to spring to her eyes.

"Enough!" He exclaimed, though she couldn't understand, and Orochimaru was only frightening her more Hinata gazed at him through teary eyes, a yearning for understanding burning deep within her that somehow became greater than her constant irrational shyness.

"Wh-Why?" She stammered out, cupping the reddened area of her face with her right hand.

His gaze was unusually calm though Hinata could sense how angry he was becoming with each passing second. She hated to look at him, he frightened her, she hated him, she hated this place…and yet…and yet something kept her from turning away.

"Each time you stutter in my presence I will strike you." He replied, he would've furthered his explanation with the reasoning Hinata knew some of and yet still wanted reiterated to her had Kabuto not burst through the door a moment later, his silver locks astray from shooting up from his bed and dashing into the room so quickly.

"Lord Orochimaru-sama!" He exclaimed breathing hard.

"What could have possibly driven you to disturb me and disobey a direct order?" The older man seethed at him, his eyes that were once eerily calm, almost as if blank now flared with anger in all their golden glory.

"Your arms-" Kabuto drawled out, "How are they, can you still use them?" He asked in a hurry.

Orochimaru took a moment before nodding, "Why is it you ask?" He spoke as if he though Kabuto, his most loyal follow for over thirteen years, would neglect to tell him these things.

"Because I was just looking over my research and I realized that if feeling didn't immediately return to your arms that antibodies in your bloodstream would still be trying to fight off Hinata's foreign blood cells. Because of the curse placed on you it could be lethal instead of just a normal bodily function, it's very important that-"

"I'm fine Kabuto, you worry too much." He interjected, "Now." He said with a wave of his hand towards the door, "Leave us for a few more moments…Hinata and I have some more…discussing to do."

Kabuto's gaze subconsciously traveled to the still reddened area of Hinata's face she'd since stopped grasping when he'd darted into the room. His eyes widened slightly, he was aware of this, but thankfully Orochimaru said nothing when he took note of the reaction. Though he knew it wasn't uncharacteristic of his master to inflict pain upon a pawn for doing something wrong he was curious as to what it was that Hinata did to upset him so. He was certain after all that Orochimaru would've usually never done much more to her…or any other sound member for that matter than say something cold.

He sighed at this and turned to leave without giving it another thought, "Lord Orochimaru sama." He addressed than man a final time, "It's only right that I tell you that if anything were ever to happen to Hinata, if anything were ever to contaminate her blood…or if she were to die, your arms would be of no use to you ever again. Magnetic brainwaves transported through the central nervous systems of your bodies make it so that the functioning of your arms is linked with hers." He explained.

Orochimaru looked at him skeptically, "You are mistaken, if that were true, we would mimic each other's every movement." He pointed out.

Kabuto shook his head, still not turning back to face Orochimaru, "You'd think so but you've always been the exception to the rule." And for lack of a clear explanation, one, which he was confident in, he said nothing more. Orochimaru decided not to press the issue knowing that with Kabuto sometimes a little simplicity was a good thing.

"Stuttering is a sign of weakness, you are not a weak person." He informed her. Hinata's eyes widened in shock, she couldn't believe someone so powerful and so feared was telling her she was a strong person and she wondered if this was the sort of head game he played with every person he happened to encounter.

"But I…" She trailed off at this, obviously unable to explain without babbling.

"Your blood was able to bring feeling back into my arms, even if the effect is temporary it means the same for you…you already have been of more use to me than any other container or follower in all these years." He began to explain, "It would be foolish of me to say this to a person that has so little confidence it what they say, it would be absurd for me to be telling this to someone with self-worth as low as yours…but I plan to change you." He continued.

She repeated the words in her mind over and over again, _I plan to change you_. What had he meant by that? Part of her was afraid to know the answer.

"'M not strong…" She muttered, this time to keep herself from stuttering she closed her eyes and envisioned her mother's face, Orochimaru realized what she was doing and made sure even with her eyes closed she could sense the disapproval in his eyes.

"I plan to change that."

"'M not really fast either…" Her voice was dropping on the last few words as if she was or had already convinced herself she could never be worthy of him.

"Child." His voice had softened, such was his tactic to get her to open her eyes, which she did, more out of shock than out of feeling more comfortable around him, "Don't you hear well?" He inquired, "I plan to change that."

His tones were fond, his gaze was genuinely normal…Kabuto who was slowly falling asleep on his bed had even begun to realize that his master was fond of Hinata in the same sense that he had been fond of him when Orochimaru had first recruited him.

Hinata blinked as she looked at him, and though she opened her mouth but didn't ask her question and merely shut it again, he knew what word was stuck in her mind…he knew how to sum up everything she was feeling. It was all there when he looked at her all the answers in one new question that aroused from his miraculous healing and shocking proposal….

In the same instance that Hinata's gaze towards him became less frightened and more fond in a more than sincere sense he opened his mouth to offer an answer.


End file.
